La Selva Amazon Ecolodge & Spa

Enjoy an Amazon adventure and spend time exploring the Ecuadorean tropical rainforest with walks and canoe rides. See colourful flora and fauna and meet a local indigenous family at their home. Spend 3 nights using the Selva Ecolodge as your base.

When speaking of South America, you just can’t ignore the Amazon. The Amazon rainforest, the largest rainforest on Earth, is one of the wonders of the World due to its size, extremely rich natural life and biodiversity. From Quito airport, you will be met and briefed before taking a short flight to Puerto Francisco de Orellana also known as El Coca located in the Ecuadorean Amazon rainforest. From here, you will board a motorized canoe for an amazing 2 ½ hour journey by river through the rainforest.

You will eventually be dropped off at La Selva’s main dock. A little later, have a 15 minute jungle walk to a creek where you will join a paddle canoe for a 20 minute ride across a lagoon to reach the lodge area. Your luggage will be taken care of during this journey. On arrival at the lodge, have a refreshing drink and a briefing given by the resident manager about the lodge and available activities. This will be your home for the next 3 nights.

In the late afternoon, walk on the Matapalo Trail with a naturalist guide who will show you the local flora and fauna of the tropical rainforest. This evening, have a night walk to look for all kinds of reptiles, birds, and other animals.

The next morning brings a walk on the Chaguamango Hermano Trail which starts at the lodge and finishes at a lake. Your guide will tell you about tropical plants that are used by indigenous groups to cure different ailments. Return to the lodge by canoe. In the early evening, enjoy a night canoe ride around the lagoon to look for caimans, boas, bats, owls, night mammals and other nocturnal wildlife.

The following morning, visit the most biologically diverse place in the world, the Yasuni National Park reached by a 20 minute canoe ride plus a 15 minute walk to the Napo River. Here, a 10 minute motorized canoe ride will uncover an awesome display of the world of bird life which includes hundreds of parakeets and parrots. Then continue for another 30 minutes ride for more bird watching along the banks of the river. After this, you meet an Amazonian Kichwa family who will receive you in their home. Return to the lodge by motorized canoe, a walk and a paddle canoe ride. In the late afternoon, visit a butterfly farm to learn about the different stages of these colourful creatures. This is followed by an adventure of fishing with piranhas. You will try your hand at fishing and hopefully catch some fish for the lodge’s chef to cook for your dinner.

Itinerary

Quito to La Selva Lodge

At the Quito International Airport you will be met by La Selva representative in the National departure area in order to assist you and give you a short briefing about the journey.

After a 30 minute commercial flight to Puerto Francisco de Orellana "El Coca", transfer by private transportation. A representative will take care of your luggage and will provide you with life vests and fresh water bottles.

An amazing fluvial journey of approximately two and a half hours in a motorized canoe with the assistance of a high quality English-speaking naturalist guide will be the beginning of a great experience in the tropical rainforest. A delicious boxed lunch will be provided.

At the end of the motorized canoe ride, you will be dropped off at La Selva's main dock. After using the facilities and putting mosquito repellent on, a short 15 minute jungle walk will lead you to a creek where a small canoe will be taken to enjoy an unforgettable 20 minutes paddle canoe ride across "Garzacocha" (the heron's lagoon) in order to reach the lodge area.

Do not forget that the only thing you must take care of is your carry-on and camera equipment. Your other luggage will be transported by our lodge's staff.

Approximately 15 minutes later, the resident manager will greet you with a delicious welcome cocktail. From there you will continue on to relax in the bar area with a fresh tropical fruit snack and a short briefing with general information about the lodge and activities, provided by one of our bilingual naturalist guides.

16H30 - Matapalo Trail: This trail was named after the Spanish name of the famous Strangler fig (Ficus sp) one of many remarkable trees that you will find during this short introductory walk, where your native and naturalist guides will start to share with you part of their knowledge about flora and fauna of the tropical rain forest.

18H40 - Night Walk: A flashlight and a camera will be the most important tools you will need to enjoy all of the insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals that you might see during an hour walk in the darkness of the forest.

La Selva Lodge

Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, a paradise awaits you. La Selva Amazon Ecolodge & Spa is a study in adventure travel and ecotourism in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. The Ecolodge consists of: three exclusive bungalows featuring lakeside suites with private balconies and panoramic windows; ...

Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, a paradise awaits you. La Selva Amazon Ecolodge & Spa is a study in adventure travel and ecotourism in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. The Ecolodge consists of: three exclusive bungalows featuring lakeside suites with private balconies and panoramic windows; a butterfly spa; a new gourmet restaurant with local ingredients from an organic farm; an observation tower; trails and excursions around the area with the best multilingual naturalist guides.

Facilities

Bar

Massage Facilities

Restaurant

Spa

Photo gallery

La Selva Lodge

06H00 - Wake up call06H30 - Breakfast07H00 - Chaguamango Hermano Trail: This trail begins behind the lodge and finishes on the edge of the lake. During the walk your guides will talk about the neo-tropical pharmacy that is found in the rainforest. Many plants have been used by the indigenous groups of the Amazonia to cure different ailments, some of them will be spotted on the way. At the end of the walk, you will head back to the lodge by canoe. If you are lucky, you might see big troops of squirrel monkeys approaching the water, allowing you to take the best photos of wildlife.

12H30 - Lunch16H30 - Charapa Trail18H40 - Night Canoe Ride: With the help of a spotlight, your guides will take you in a paddle canoe around the lagoon looking for caimans, boas, bats, owls, night mammals and more nocturnal wildlife. If the sky is clear, you might have the chance to do some star gazing.

19H30 - Dinner

Meal Plan

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day3

La Selva Lodge

06H00 - Wake up call06H30 - Breakfast07H00 - Parrot Clay Lick: It is time to visit the most biologically diverse spot in the earth, the Yasuni National Park. A 20 minute canoe ride plus a 15 minute walk will head you back to the Napo River. A motorized canoe ride lasting 10 minutes will let you enjoy one of the most amazing displays of the wild world. Hundreds of parrots and parakeets will approach the treetops and later will come down to a clay bank to eat this soil rich in minerals. It is essential to have binoculars to enjoy it.

Once you identify the different species of parrots and parakeets, your naturalist guide will provide a lot of interesting information about this spectacular birds' behavior. The motorized canoe ride will continue for approximately 30 more minutes of birdwatching along the river banks.

It has been a wonderful morning, full of parrots, parakeets and other birds. Now it is time to enjoy a Cultural Activity. An Amazonian Kichwa family will receive you in their home. A visit to the garden "chacra" followed by a visit to the house is going to show you that part of the Amazonia that you do not find on the maps, the Amazon people. Motorized canoe ride, walk and a paddle canoe ride will lead you back to the lodge

12H30 - Lunch16H00 - Butterfly Farm: It is the moment to learn about the biology of this amazing insect. The farm will show you the different stages of the butterfly complemented with important information provided by your naturalist guide. You will not want to leave the flying area without taking your best photos of our colorful butterflies.

Now you have got enchanted photos for your album. The adventure continues with Fishing for Piranhas in the Garzacocha Lake. Fishing lines will be provided by your native guide, to let you catch your own piranha. Depending on the size of the fish, you will put it back in the water or if it is big enough you can give it to our French chef and enjoy a tasty fish dinner. Remember that the fish is much more delicious when you catch it yourself.

18H30 - Lecture: A cup of coffee, a piece of paper and a pencil will help you to take note of important extra details provided by your naturalist guide in an interesting lecture about nature.

19H30 - Dinner20H30 - Departure Briefing: Your naturalist guide will provide all the necessary information for your departure to Coca and flight back to Quito.

Meal Plan

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day4

Depart La Selva Lodge

06H30 - Breakfast07H00 - Departure for Coca: In accordance with your last night briefing, you will have an early wake up call, breakfast and departure from the lodge. The lodge staff will assist you with your checked luggage. Motorized canoe ride upstream to go back to Coca, where a representative will take you to the airport to help you with your checked luggage and boarding passes.

Meal Plan

Breakfast

Other Information

DEPARTURES:

Daily except Mondays

PRICE INCLUDES:

Assistance at the airport: Quito and Coca

Transfers in the city of Coca

Canoe transportation from Coca to the Lodge on scheduled departure days

Accommodation + All meals

Guided excursions

Bilingual English/Spanish speaking naturalist guide + Native guide

Rain Poncho and Rubber Boots will be provided during your stay at the Lodge. Boot size available up to size 10½ men size.

PRICE EXCLUDES:

Personal expenses & Souvenirs

Tips

Alcoholic beverages and sodas

Airfare Quito-Coca-Quito

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Child rate is applied to children under 12 years-old sharing room with at least one adult. Maximum of 2 children under 12 years-old can share a room with an adult.